


Coming home

by Cassidy_Doris



Series: Sterek Ficlets [10]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Derek Hale Has a Crush on Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale Leaves Beacon Hills, Derek Hale is a Softie, Falling In Love, Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Healing, Home, M/M, POV Derek Hale, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, sterek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-23 23:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18559498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassidy_Doris/pseuds/Cassidy_Doris
Summary: Derek leaves Beacon Hills behind to go on a "soul quest," as Stiles puts it. He finds healing, forgiveness, happiness, but most of all he learns where his true home is.





	Coming home

  
It started small. Derek left. Stiles called.  
  
He yelled at him mostly, “I deserved a goodbye, Derek. Doesn’t saving your ass countless times mean I get a goodbye? Because I think it does. I think it means I get all the goodbyes and screw everyone else. I matter most.”  
  
Derek lets out a chuckle and leans his head back against the seat of the bus he’s currently in as it leaves the station from Sacramento. “You’re right, Stiles. You deserved a goodbye, but I’m sorry I couldn’t do it in person. I just had to get out of there.”  
  
“I know. I get that. I’m not actually trying to give you a hard time, make you a laugh a little bit maybe, which I did. So, win for Stiles.”  
  
Derek sits up more and looks out the window at the world passing by. There’s a beat before Stiles begins again, “so, where are you headed?”  
  
“I don’t know, yet, but I’ll let you know when I do.” Derek says, feeling Stiles’ anxiety through the phone. Stiles’s need to keep tabs on everybody, to solve everything, and fix everyone's problems is what makes him the best pack member, in Derek’s opinion. Although, he’ll never tell Stiles that for fear of it getting to his head, but it’s true. No one else will call him, he’s sure of that, to check in on him and where he is. He also knows Stiles calls Isaac at least once a week since he left for France and even gets Jackson on Facetime every now and then. He cares, that’s why he matters most of all.  
  
“Thanks, big guy. So, got some time to chat?” Stiles asks.  
  
“Yeah, I’ve probably got eight hours to chat.” Derek replies. Now, Derek gets a laugh from Stiles and that’s how it goes for the next six hours before Stiles falls asleep and Derek can hear him snoring on the phone. He hangs up and texts him.  
  
**DH: Arriving to San Diego soon. Not sure if I’m heading more south or more west but I’ll send you a postcard.**  
  
A few hours later his phone buzzes on the nightstand of his motel room.  
  
**SS: Oh, yes! I want allll the postcards! Thanks for keeping me updated, Der.**  
  
A lump forms in Derek’s throat as the word Der immediately makes him think of Laura. Stiles reminds Derek a lot of Laura, from the way that he cares but also challenges and calls Derek out on his shit. Derek thinks long and hard about it for a minute and realizes that whatever he’s doing and wherever he’s going, he’ll find his way back to Stiles, yeah he thinks his path always leads back to Stiles. 

 

***Three years later***

  
Derek traveled for awhile. He went into Mexico and afterwards traveled down to meet his sister and the pack that took care of her. They welcome him like they’ve known him his whole life and he stays for a few weeks. It’s great bonding time with Cora and he knows when he leaves they’re better than when they first met again.  
Derek even takes some time aboard and visits France and England. Uses Isaac and Jackson as both places to stay and his tour guides. They grump about it but in the end neither him or them wants him to leave, which Derek takes as a good sign he’ll slowly be able to fix things with them. They’re the only two surviving members of his pack, even if Jackson wasn’t a choice of his at first, here they are. Derek will always love them and most likely always be sorry and making up for all his mistakes.  
  
“Stop apologizing, idiot.” Jackson told him on their last night, after Derek got too drunk off of wolfsbane infused whiskey. Jackson said he knew a guy. “Things sucked for awhile, sure, but now they don’t and I love my life. A large part of that is because of you.”  
  
Jackson shrugs but it makes Derek a bit weepy and they both, _maybe_ , cry a bit but they don’t tell a soul. Okay, Derek lied, he tells Stiles, but at this point everyone knows everything gets back to Stiles.  
  
“Oh my god, oh my god!” Stiles exclaims on the phone as Derek is making his way through the airport. Derek finds it interesting that he’s grown accustomed to always calling Stiles whenever he’s leaving and traveling to a new place. He finds it soothes his traveling anxieties. “I so wish I could’ve been there for that cuddle puddle.”  
  
Derek rolls his eyes, “it was not a cuddle puddle.”  
  
“Sounded like it was, Derek, with a nice dose of heart to heart, as well.” Stiles laughs.  
  
"Fine, it was, you’re right. I feel good and a little sad about leaving Jackson, I think we’ve made some headway.”  
  
“Whoever thought anyone would be sad about leaving Jackson.” Stiles jokes.  
  
“I know, right.” Him and Stiles both laugh.  
  
“That’s good, though. I’m super happy for you and Jackson. And the soul quest continues! Where to next? I love the England postcard and appreciate even more the picture Jackson sent of you next to that guard at Buckingham Palace. Please, put that on your instagram.”  
  
Lots of things have changed in the last three years. Stiles has taken it upon himself to name Derek’s traveling “Derek’s soul quest,” which, although Derek won’t admit it (but he can’t lie about it either,) that Stiles is kind of right. It does feel like a soul quest. Deaton connected him to a supernatural therapist whom he Skypes with once a week.  
  
Stiles got into Stanford and is in his fourth year, “because I’m awesome and too smart, so, I got ahead by a whole year,” and “I can legally drink, Derek, drinkkkkkk.” As Stiles, drunkenly told him both of these things on his twenty-first birthday. Derek only chuckled and rolled over in his bed as he tried to listen to Stiles drunk ramblings, which were surprisingly similar to his sober ramblings, so Derek’s had a lot of practice. Oh, and Derek got an Instagram, much to his chagrin but at the insistence of Stiles. “Postcards are lovely and I love and cherish them all, but I need real time updates, Derek! It’s time!” So, he does, because Derek has long come to terms that he’ll do just about anything for Stiles. He also might be in love with the man, which has also been in development for the last three years. He’s decided to lean into it.  
  
Derek arrives to his gate and finds a seat away from the crowd. He ponders Stiles’ question. Stiles is currently in Beacon Hills on his last spring break before he graduates.  
  
“Hello? Earth to Derek, are you still there?” Derek hears faintly, his eyes come back into focus as he stares around a bit and realizes he’s been lost in thought.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, uh, sorry. I was just thinking of your question.” Derek says.  
  
“Ah, so, no new place in mind? Just bought a ticket to somewhere?” Stiles asks.  
  
“No, uh, I have somewhere specific in mind.” Derek begins slowly.  
  
“Oh, cool. Are you gonna share with the class? You don’t have to, of course.” Stiles says. Derek smiles, he appreciates that Stiles always gives him the option of not sharing, but he also knows there isn’t really an option for him. He’s told Stiles everything in the last three years. He doesn’t mind telling Stiles everything, Derek’s come to realize.  
  
“I think, I think I want to come home.” Derek whispers. There’s a small gasp and Derek panics, “What? Stiles?”  
  
“No, yeah. I’m here. I heard you, I just, I think this is the first time I’ve ever heard you call Beacon Hills your home before.” Stiles admits. Derek smiles down at his lap, and the ticket in his hand that says Sacramento, CA. Just an hour and some change from there and he’ll be back in Beacon Hills.  
  
“This is the first time I’ve ever called _anybody_ home.” Derek admits, taking the risk. He could’ve left it at that, made Stiles believe it was Beacon Hills he was calling home but it’s not, it isn’t. It’s Stiles, always Stiles, wherever Stiles is, is Derek’s home. Derek hears another gasp and then a laugh that feels a bit watery, like maybe Stiles is crying a bit, just like Derek is.  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Stiles starts, “Come home, Der. Please.”  
  
“I’m on my way.” Derek says, just as the intercom mentions that his flight is boarding.  
  
When Derek gets back to Beacon Hills, he goes straight to the one place he’s always known. He knocks on the door and the Sheriff opens it with a warm smile, he steps out in his uniform, clearly getting ready to head out for a shift. He puts his hand on Derek’s shoulder and gives it a slight squeeze.  
  
“Welcome home, son.” John says. Derek nods, lump forming in his throat.  
  
“Thank you, sir.” Derek responds. John just laughs.  
“You can call me John, or maybe dad. We’ll see how I feel about it.” Derek laughs in response and nods again in acknowledgement.  
  
"He’s inside, hasn’t slept a wink since your phone call last night, so I’m assuming he’s passed out.” John pats his shoulder before making his way down to the cruiser.  
  
Derek steps inside and quietly shuts and locks the door behind him. He makes his way upstairs, following the familiar scent trail, to a familiar room and a familiar person. He slips inside and puts his stuff down on the floor, before stripping down to his boxers. It all feels weirdly domestic and like they’ve been doing this for years. Coming home to each other and getting into bed. It all feels familiar even. The second he lays down Stiles must feel a disturbance in the force because he rolls over immediately and throws his leg around Derek’s waist and puts his arm over Derek’s chest. Derek huffs out a laugh before adjusting so he’s laying on his side and facing Stiles. Stiles has his eyes closed but a small smile on his face.  
  
“Bout ‘ime, ‘urwuff.” Stiles mumbles, half his cheek is smushed into his pillow, but like he’s said, Derek’s had years of practice figuring out what Stiles is saying.  
  
“I’m here now.” Derek whispered into Stiles’ hair. Stiles makes a soft, pleased, rumbling sound in his chest. Derek can feel the vibrations and it makes him laugh.  
  
“Yeah, you’re home now.” Stiles agrees. Derek kisses the top of his head.  
  
“Yeah, I’m home.” Derek says.  
  
“Me ‘oo.” Stiles says before snuggling in closer and falling back to sleep. Derek sighs and smiles to himself. There’s going to be time in the morning to have a real, long conversation about their futures and what they want from it. There’ll be time for kisses, maybe more. Maybe some dates first, starting with breakfast. There’ll be time to have dinner with him and John. Time to watch Stiles graduate from college. Time to get familiar with Beacon Hills and everything that exists within it.  
  
For now, though, for now he’ll take this small bubble of just him and Stiles in the early morning light. Just before falling asleep, the light filters into Stiles’ room and illuminates it a little more. Something across the room catches his eye, as he adjusts he realizes they are all his postcards. Over the last three years, lined up, in order. It makes Derek smile, and he thinks of all the future adventures he hopes to have with Stiles by his side this time. He thinks about that, with a smile on his face, as he slowly closes his eyes and follows Stiles into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I found this prompt yesterday in the Sterek hashtag on tumblr:  
> “I want to come home”   
> “This is the first time you’ve called this house your home.”  
> “This is the first time I’ve ever called anybody home.”  
> It stuck with me. I ended up waking up at 3am and staying awake because I had to work at 6am. So, I wrote this in that 3hr time span.  
> I've done a few read throughs and a few edits, but not much, so hopefully things are okay enough to read and make sense. 
> 
> This could be longer, because I did have so many other directions I wanted to take this in but I'm just not that kind of writer. I used to be. I wrote two longish ones, but at the end of the day my attention span is blah. 
> 
> I haven't written in ages! This felt so weird and fascinating. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> ps I've definitely written other fics where Derek leaves and he goes to visit Isaac and/or Jackson. I've also had the word "home" in other fics as well. I could be a broken record. Sorryyyy.
> 
> pss. if ya want: shewhorunswiththemoon on tumblr :)


End file.
